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Topic: Frenzy/Rötschreck (Read 399 times)

Trapped within the false civility of the Camarilla and the forced camaraderie of the Sabbat, there is a hidden truth: Vampires are monsters, possessed of an inner Beast. Though, like humans, they have the capability to overrule their baser instincts, sometimes they fail. When this occurs, the Hunger and the Beast become uncontrollable, and no one is safe from their excesses. Older vampires refer to the ensuing savage fits as "succumbing to the Beast Within." Younger Kindred refer to these outbursts simply as frenzies.

The Act Of Frenzying

Amid a Frenzy, a character truly - and as a rule unwillingly - gives into the darkest senses of the vampiric nature. The character is overcome with fierceness or appetite, incapable - or unwilling - to consider the impacts of any activity. Companions, adversaries, significant others, morals: None of these things matter to a vampire in frenzy. In the event that a vampire in frenzy is ravenous, he will nourish from whoever is nearest without respect for the vessel's prosperity. In the event that the vampire is irate, he will make every effort to obliterate the reason for his outrage. A vampire struck by dread will submit any barbarity to expel himself from the wellspring of his fear, paying little respect to the results. The character totally surrenders to the basest parts of his Nature, shunting aside the Demeanor most ordinarily displayed to people around him. He is, to put it plainly, the Beast.

In the Camarilla, capitulating to frenzy is viewed as shortcoming, a mortifying loss of control. Vampires who frenzy regularly, and particularly out in the open, risk social dismissal or more regrettable. Despite the fact that numerous among the Camarilla Kindred are creatures totally, the laws of the Masquerade and basic class require that the Beast be held within proper limits; the individuals who can't do as such are not vampires, but rather creatures, and ought to be put down for the benefit of all. Among the Sabbat, frenzy is viewed as a characteristic urge, similar to mortals' requirements for nourishment and sex. Sabbat vampires mock the Camarilla's state of mind toward furor as that of frail willed fools who can't acknowledge their actual ruthless nature. As needs be, Sabbat regularly look for not to forestall frenzy, but rather to control it and utilize it further bolstering their good fortune.

A frenzy can be actuated by numerous things, yet awesome anger or appetite are the most well-known incitements. It is unsafe to deny or embarrass the undead. Therefore, vampires of the Camarilla normally shroud insults and dangers in networks of twofold talk and nuance, for fear that they all of a sudden trigger an upheaval in Elysium or gathering. At last, the Storyteller can require a vampire to make a frenzy move whenever, at whatever point he feels the character may have cause to lose control.

A vampire in frenzy gains several temporary benefits from the state. Vampires in frenzy completely ignore all dice pool penalties inflicted by injury, until the frenzy ends. Once the frenzy is finished, the pain comes back and the crippling effects of the wounds take hold again. All difficulties to Dominate or otherwise mentally control a frenzied character are increased by two, and all difficulties to resist the effects of such mental control are reduced by two. The character never needs Willpower rolls to accomplish a feat, because the rage fueling the vampire's actions is both a catalyst to heightened state of mind and a barrier against unwanted intrusions. Lastly, characters in frenzy are immune to the detrimental effects of Rötschreck.

Overcoming Frenzy

The rules for handling a frenzy are deliberately vague, and the Storyteller is encouraged to make whatever changes she deems necessary to accommodate her chronicle.

In some cases, Kindred can manage to overcome the urge to frenzy. A vampire on the verge of frenzy must make a Self-Control roll against a variable difficulty. (Vampires with the Instincts Virtue always frenzy). The difficulty is often 6 to 8, but if trying to overcome the urge to commit a blatantly evil act, the vampire's player can roll against a difficulty of (9 minus Conscience) instead. The character must score five successes to completely overcome the desires for violence, but even one success halts the frenzy temporarily. For each success below five, the character can resist the urge to frenzy for one turn. After this duration expires, the character may try again to gain extra successes and thus continue to resist the frenzy. Once five successes are acquired, over a longer or shorter period, the vampire resists the Beast's urges.

Failure means the character goes into an emotional rampage, doing exactly what she wants to do with no worries of later repercussions. Botching the Self-Control roll means the character remains in a frenzy until the Storyteller decides otherwise, and (at the Storyteller's discretion) she may gain a derangement related to the frenzy.

The following list shows common stimuli that can incite a frenzy, and the typical difficulty for a character to resist. If the frenzy has the potential to cause the vampire to commit an atrocity (killing a child or other innocent, for example), the Storyteller can rule that the difficulty is (9 minus Conscience or Conviction) instead.

Provocation

Difficulty

Smell of blood (when hungry)

3 (or higher in extreme cases)

Sight of blood (when hungry)

4 (or higher in extreme cases)

Being harassed

4

Life-threatening situation

4

Malicious taunts

4

Physical provocation

6

Taste of blood (when hungry)

6 (or higher in extreme cases)

Loved one in danger

7

Outright public humiliation

8

Note: The Storyteller has final say in what can or cannot provoke a frenzy. In some cases the Storyteller might completely ignore what the players feel should send their characters into a rage, and instead have some minor event cause a frenzy. This is commonly done in situations where the Storyteller feels a frenzy can make a point about a character's personality, or enhance the events of a story.

RolePlaying Frenzy

Characters in a frenzy are not themselves - or, all the more precisely, uncover a greater amount of themselves than they typically would. They will effectively satiate their appetite or annihilate the wellspring of the frenzy, notwithstanding assaulting other players' characters. Characters in a frenzy by and large assault their foes to start with, yet in the event that no adversaries are available, companions are splendidly satisfactory grain for their baser senses. Indeed, even significant others and family can succumb to vampires in frenzy. The character may feel regret and revolting blame later, yet while the frenzy happens, nothing matters spare the prompt satisfaction of the character's cravings. This can prompt consequent degeneration checks. Subsequently, rehashed frenzy can demonstrate extremely unfavorable to a vampire's Humanity or Path.

A few players may feel reluctant about pretending a frenzy, yet such is the way of the vampire. Players are urged to depict the frenzy viably. A player whose character is amidst frenzy may spend a Willpower point. This empowers him to control one activity of his character for one turn. In this way, a vampire may allow her casualty to-be to run, or a culpable mortal the opportunity to stammer out a conciliatory sentiment. This snapshot of discretion goes on for just a turn, conceivably two; it doesn't stop the frenzy, yet just enables the character to control it somewhat. As Storyteller, if an excited character makes a move you esteem improper, you may permit the activity, yet decide that the character has quite recently spent a Willpower indicate make the move.

The Storyteller decides how long any frenzy lasts, but one scene typically suffices. If a character is knocked unconscious or trapped alone for an extended period, the odds are good she will eventually regain control of herself.

RötschreckDespite the fact that there are couple of things that can murder a vampire - and however numerous among the Damned claim to abhor their interminably - certain wellsprings of damage alarm all vampires. Daylight and fire can achieve an unnerved flight-or-battle mindset. While under the spell of this Rötschreck, a vampire escapes in visually impaired frenzy from the wellspring of her dread, quickly lashing out at anything in her route paying little respect to any individual connections or affiliations. Rötschreck is in many routes like whatever other frenzy; similarly as the Beast now and again seizes control in times of outrage, so it does in times of incredible dread.

Moderately harmless boosts, or jolts straightforwardly under the character's control, are probably not going to instigate Rötschreck. For instance, a character who sees a lit cigarette in a dance club, or a screened-in chimney in a partner's home, may become uneasy, however is probably not going to surrender to the Red Fear. On the off chance that that same cigarette is pointed threateningly at the vampire, however, or the chimney all of a sudden erupts.

A vampire seeking to avoid Rötschreck requires a Courage roll. As with frenzy, five successes must be accumulated to ignore the Beast completely, though fewer successes enable the vampire to overcome her fear for a greater or lesser period of time. Failure means the vampire flees madly from the danger, making a beeline for safety and tearing apart anything or anyone that gets in her way. Any attempt to restrain a vampire suffering from Rötschreck results in an immediate attack, just as if the character were in frenzy. One Willpower point may be spent to maintain control for one turn.

A character who is the victim of a botched Courage roll immediately frenzies and remains in a frenzy until the Storyteller decides otherwise.

Provocation

Difficulty

Lighting a cigarette

3

Sight of a torch

5

Bonfire

6

Obscured sunlight

7

Being burned

7

Direct sunlight

8

Trapped in burning building

9

Refernce(s):Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition Published by White Wolf